Swimming community react to Nettlefold resignation

Updated
June 03, 2013 19:48:00

Australia's elite swimmers and coaches say they're shocked and disappointed by the latest controversy to hit the sport. Former Swimming Australia boss Barclay Nettlefold has resigned over accusations he made inappropriate comments to his staff. Many in the swimming fraternity describe him as a catalyst for good change in the sport.

ASHLEY HALL: Australia's elite swimmers and coaches say they're shocked and disappointed by the latest controversy to hit the sport. Former head of Swimming Australia, Barclay Nettlefold, has resigned after only seven months in the job over accusations he made inappropriate comments to his staff.

Stephanie Smail reports.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: Barclay Nettlefold was appointed president of Swimming Australia last October after the team's disappointing performance at the London Olympics. He's initiated two inquiries into swimming and has been praised for his work in building sponsorship.

But accusations he made inappropriate comments to his staff have led to his resignation. In a statement he says they were 'private comments made in jest to my colleagues that were not consistent with the standards expected of me'.

Poolside on the Gold Coast, swimmers and coaches says they're sad to see Barclay Nettlefold go.

Glenn Baker is an Olympic swimming coach.

GLENN BAKER: This morning at training all the swimmers pretty shocked and just a sense of disappointment really. Mainly disappointment being that Barclay could have done a lot more good things for the sport, he's already achieved quite a bit in a short space of time, and he was the right man for the job.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: Olympian Melanie Schlanger is also complimentary of Nettlefold's efforts to improve the sport's image.

MELANIE SCHLANGER: I've always found Barclay a really great guy to deal with. And he's been a catalyst for a lot of the positive change in our sport. So it's a shame to see him go out this way.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: Yesterday Nettlefold fronted the media claiming the allegations are part of a personal attack. He's called for an internal investigation into what he describes as a character assassination.

BARCLAY NETTLEFOLD: Obviously there's a personality attack on me, and that needs to be dealt internally.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: Melanie Schlanger says it's a shame Swimming Australia is in the news for the wrong reasons again. She says Nettlefold played an important role in attracting sponsorship, but she's not worried that will drop off.

MELANIE SCHLANGER: You know he has been instrumental in that, which has been great for us. But, I guess the sponsors, they sponsor swimming as a sport and us as athletes in the performance in the pool, and we've really been able to put that together in the last sort of six months since the Olympics.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: The ABC has contacted Swimming Australia's major sponsors. Those that responded say they'll continue to support the sport. Swimmers and coaches insist the latest scandal won't distract them in the lead up to the World Championships in Barcelona.

Glenn Baker says they're focused on the pool.

GLENN BAKER: The swimmers and myself have their own personal goals and targets and what we have to achieve at training. And you know a skill that we have to develop and learn is to block any outside influences out and focus on what we can control. And that's really what happens here.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: Swimming Australia wasn't available for comment today, but it's expected to appoint an acting president later this week.